India's Ola on expansion drive, heads to New Zealand

The SoftBank Group Corp.-backed cab aggregator is set to roll out operations in New Zealand

The company has been locked in an intense battle with Uber for market share in India

Ola recently unveiled operations in U.K. and Australia

BANGALORE, India - The SoftBank Group Corp.-backed Indian cab aggregator, Ola, which made its first international launch in Australia earlier this year, is now set to roll out operations in New Zealand.

The Indian ride-hailing giant, which has been locked in an intense battle with Uber for market share in India, recently unveiled operations in U.K. and Australia.

Founded in 2011, Ola now boasts of over 125 million users and one million driver-partners across 110 cities in India.

During its launch in Australia, Ola revealed its long term plans and said that it had decided to expand its global footprint and explore markets that embrace new technology and innovation.

The company had been focussed on international markets where it said it sees immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem.

After establishing successful operations in India, and internationally in Australia and the U.K., Ola announced on Tuesday that New Zealand will be the newest battleground for Indias largest ride-hailing platform.

Ola, which is operated by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and is headquartered in the south Indian city of Bangalore, said in a statement that it is starting operations in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

Further, the company announced that it has roped in Brian Dewil, co-founder and director of the robotics startup Horizon Robotics, to be the country manager.

Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ola, said in a statement, We see a real opportunity in New Zealand to provide a fair alternative in the rideshare space for both customers and drivers.

Ola further added that that it is inviting private vehicle owners to register on its platform.

In addition, the ride-hailing firm is also offering an introductory commission of 9 percent.

Uber already operates in New Zealand and Ola's launch in the country comes at a time when the San Francisco-based ride-hailing giant has

made some changes to its operations in New Zealand.

Earlier this month, Uber announced that it would block customers with low passenger ratings in both New Zealand and Australia, from its service.